Match Day Thread Burton Albion @ The Pirelli Stadium 2/1/17

New year, new ground as the Whites head off to Staffordshire for their first ever visit to Burton upon Trent to take on the Albion. Promoted last season and to be fair more than holding their own at the moment, higher in the league than ex Premier League teams Blackburn and Wigan P Athletic. Like us they will be in the bottom three for budgets hopefully they will stay up and with Nigel Clough as manager they will every chance of doing that.
Last time out they won at Rotherham with goals bt the impressive Jackson Irvine and Chris O'Grady, the win gives them a bit of breathing space above the bottom three. They are hard to beat on their own patch given that the capacity is 6912 it will be a very compact stadium and pitch quite different from some of the grounds we have played on this season.
Given the transfer window is now open there is a possibility they may do some business before the game tomorrow.
In the victory against the Millers was Shaun Barker who has basically been out of the game for four years due to injury and not having a club. Jamie Ward was also on the substitute's bench returning from a longish lay off.
Grayson has stated there will be a few changes given that it is our second game in three days so Gallagher and McGeady may not start again after being out for a while and playing yesterday however we have the three new lads who are now available, Horgan and Boyle from Dundalk and Barkuizen from Morecambe, so a bit more competition for places but will Bailey Wright be in the squad, if not suggest transfer on the cards.
Burton is famous for brewing beer and also Branston Pickle was invented in an area of the town suspect the former may get some use tomorrow.

Form Guide

Burton last three LLW Next three Watford A Wigan H Cardiff A
PNE last three WLD Next three Arsenal H Brighton H Aston Villa A

 

Especially considering the BA 0 - PNE 1 scoreline. It was another game where the opposition hardly got a shot on target.
Happy New Year to you, Mac.

 

Compliments to you Barnet as well

 

A stop start journey on the M6 on the way down to Burton, managed to get lost and an utterly dreadful game however the savings grace from the day was we took three points and kept a clean sheet.
A very compact ground is the Pirelli, the away end is 12 steps deep and you can get up close and personal with your neighbouring fan, bit non leagueish with a pitch which was slightly bumpy which didn't help matters.
Burton started quickly as they did at Deepdale but this time didn't get an early goal, North End's only early foray was a Doyle run and shot which was blocked. The game was mainly towards the North End goal although Albion had a few half chances, Maxwell in the North End goal was not trouble apart from one corner which Johnson cleared a header from the line . North End offered little going forward with optimistic long balls hammered towards Hugill who ran his socks off going in ever decreasing circles. North End were resolute at the back with the returning Bailey Wright having a decent game.
Jamie Ward was a bit of a nuisance for the home side but likes his team rarely looked like scoring, whilst North End rarely like doing anything until the fourth minute of injury time, great cross field ball from Doylr found Robinson, whose fed Cunningham the ball, the cross was left by everyone except Tom Clarke who hooked the ball over the keeper to give North End the lead with their first effort on goal.
A couple of tame Albion efforts in the second half both went over the bar before North End got a bit of control, a Doyle header was well held by McLaughlin.
Otherwise it was Burton who were pressing but North End's back four were doing their jobs keeping any home efforts away from goal. As the game got a bit stretched Hugill should have settled the game but he missed a very easy header from close range which would have given us breathing space but Burton piled forward only creating one chance which Cunnigham cleared when danger threatened.
The final whistle was a relief, dreadful game, awfulperformance but a wins a win.
Burton had no shots on target.

Burton Albion 0 Preston North End Att 5144

Preston North End manager Simon Grayson:

"We knew we had to be at it to win the game. It wasn't sort of free-flowing football but ultimately we have had a really professional performance from individuals and as a team.

"You have to find ways to win a match at times. We were disappointed with how it panned out on Saturday against Sheffield Wednesday but we had to go again quickly.

"There wasn't much in the first half. We were comfortable without asking many questions of Burton but ultimately we got the goal and that gives you a base to work from. When you look back on it, we should have made it a little bit easier with a couple more goals in the second half."

Burton Albion manager Nigel Clough:

"It was a poor goal to give away and we didn't have enough to get back into it.

"Preston are a very experienced side in the Championship. You look through their team and it is littered with experience that you need.

"I don't think we have the necessary Championship experience at the moment. We tried in the summer and we will try again in January to rectify that."

 

Congratulations tp the spirited suppporters who travelled to endure such dross!